Drove to Ocean City today to launch the boat tomorrow for the '09 season. Stopped in Coastal Wine and Spirits which is a wine mecca 12 miles north of Rehobeth Beach, Delaware. Looks like a hole in the wall liquor store but pass through the portal and, ta daaaa, wine heaven! This was a lonely orphan at $20 and couldn't resist. A very mature zin, amber/orange in color. Solid fruit with a touch of raisin on the nose. Dried fruit flavors, almost fruit cake like with dried cherry and a touch of ripe strawberry. Clearly over the hill but still posessing some rogue tannins on the medium length finish. Nice to experience but don't want a steady diet of it. 13.8% Alc/vol.
Nice to see the label remains the same.
Also picked up a 1999 Ravenswood Pickberry Vineyards Sonoma Red.

Haven't had any of Johns' zins with that kind of age on them but as noted his cabs give P/Q value that isn't attained anywhere else in Napa and they age their patooties off. I highly reccommend that anyone visiting Napa call and see if John has the time to taste with you. You'll not only drink some superior juice but you'll also meet one of the nicest men anywhere. WW